1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image detection processing device used for a variety of control equipment, recognition devices and data input devices. More specifically, the invention relates to an image detection output device for processing the image of a moving object at a high speed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A CCD light sensor used for video cameras and an external processor have heretofore been used in combination as an image detection processing device for a variety of control equipment, recognition devices and data input devices. The image data obtained by the CCD light sensor are transferred to a memory and are stored therein, and the image processing is effected such as calculating the centroid of an object (target) via the processor. However, the conventional devices are accompanied by such defects that limitation is imposed on the signal transfer speed from the CCD light sensor and the external processor becomes large in scale.
An image processing device for effecting the image processing at a high speed eliminating the above defects has been taught in JP-A-2001-195564. In this image detection processing device, a plurality of image detection processing elements are arranged on a plane, each image detection processing element comprising a light detector for effecting the photoelectric conversion, a converter for converting signals from the light detector into digital signals, and an adder to which the digital signals can be input. There are further provided a cumulative adder formed by successively connecting the adders of the plurality of image detection processing elements, a control circuit for selectively inputting, to the cumulative adder, the digital signals from the plurality of image detection processing elements, and an output unit which receives process data output from the cumulative adder based on the image data detected by the light detector.
In this image detection processing device, digital signals of the plurality of image detection processing elements are selectively input to the cumulative adder by the control circuit, and the process data are output from the cumulative adder based on the image data detected by the light detectors in the image detection processing elements. Therefore, the image detection processing device forms the process data necessary for processing the image such as for calculating the centroid at the time of transferring the data making it possible to effect the processing at a high speed.
In order to calculate the coordinates of the centroid of the object (target) from the mage detection processing device, several process data from the output unit are added up and divided by using a separately provided memory and an arithmetic processing unit.
This image detection processing device is designed being aimed at effecting the processing at a high speed (e.g., calculates the centroid in a period of 1 ms), and must use an expensive arithmetic processing unit for effecting the addition and division at high speeds. It is also allowable to use an FPGA capable of mounting a divider. However, the FPGA itself is expensive and causes the circuit to become bulky.